HEAD COACH - Pete Gratto

Pete Gratto begins his second year as head coach.

Following retirements as a senior diplomat in the US Department of State in 1991 and as a non-profit executive in 2002 he became Assistant wrestling coach at Gettysburg College in 2002, serving for five years.

A native of Canton, N.Y., he has had a 60-year relationship with wrestling, first as a youth and high school wrestler in Canton and as a four year competitor at Division I Lehigh University before graduating with a degree in International Relations in 1962.  He was a freestyle wrestler for ten years.  He won championships at all levels.

He has been a volunteer youth wrestling coach. At one time he had seven former youth wrestlers participating simultaneously on five different varsity teams in Northern Virginia. Three won state championships and one became an NCAA champion.  In addition he has been a referee in Japan as a US Marine and in Germany and Spain while on Foreign Service assignments there and in Pennsylvania from 1998-2002.

He moved to Dayton in 2008 with his wife, Dr. Sharon Davis Gratto, Chair of the Department of Music at the University of Dayton.

Since 2002 he has also coached high school softball and coed golf teams in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

ASSISTANT WRESTLING COACH - Josh Akers

Assistant Coach Josh Akers begins his third year with the Alter program and fourth year in high school coaching.  He began wrestling as a first grader and completed an outstanding career at Ben Logan High School in Bellefontaine.  He finished his active wrestling career at the College of Mount St. Joseph, where he was voted Outstanding Freshman and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics.

Coach Akers is employed by Reynolds and Reynolds.

His knowledge of local wrestling and current techniques and his easy rapport with our wrestlers make him a very valuable asset to the program.

ASSISTANT WRESTLING COACH - Jeff Solarek

Assistant Coach Jeff Solarek begins his second year with the Alter program. Jeff wrestled four years at Alter High School graduating in 1977. Some of Jeff’s accomplishments include winning the Miami Valley Holiday Tournament, GCL and Sectionals. Jeff went on to compete at the State Tournament in 1977.  He was an outstanding wrestler at Alter and continued wrestling at Miami University.

He also has a long and rewarding career in youth sports as a coach in soccer, hockey and baseball, winning several CYO championships at St. Albert the Great School.

He brings a direct knowledge of and makes a direct connection to the proud tradition of Alter wrestling.  His enthusiasm and no nonsense attitude galvanizes the wrestling room.  In this rebuilding era we need those traits that remind us where we have been and to where we want to return.